What is it with defensive midfielders & attacking midfielders?

Surely a midfielder worth their salt can attack & defend.
When did it become so specialist?
I expect a midfielder to tackle, break up play, pass, shoot, create & score.
Am I missing something?

 

Football has evolved in terms of tactics from the 60s and 70s- not saying that's a good or bad thing.

A DM is like combining the qualities of a defender and midfielder, so you have a good tackler who can slow down and dictate the flow of play whilst protecting the back 4/5. He can also sit back and get the ball into more attacking positions.

More attack-minded midfielders tend to have more pace and be more creative, score more goals from midfield and have less need to get stuck into tackles.

I think because of new tactics players tend to have much more of a specific focus when coming through the ranks whereas in the good old days it was one or the other.That's my understanding anyway.

 

If the defence are any good, they don’t need “protecting”.

And it should never be necessary if you’re playing five of the friggers!

One Neil Redfearn managed to combine the qualities of both the attacking and defensive midfielder apparently without any difficulty. Not much pace but he did score a lot of goals.

Not as many as that Scottish midfielder we had, mind. He was particularly good at picking up the ball in his own box and both initiating and finishing off a sweeping attack. Name escapes me - but it’s not Stevie Mallan.

 

Plenty of exceptional sides with world class defences utilise the services of a defensive midfielder.

 

My sentiments exactly Striker.
A midfielder should do all jobs, a la your examples.
And a defence should be able to cope without protection, if they are good enough.

 

I think most teams wouldve loved to have a player like Busquets at Barça or Makelele who was a DM at Chelsea. Neither really scored goals but most clubs would kill for that kind of player.

Just as I doubt anyone wouldve turned their nose up at Ronaldinho in his prime- im sure he didnt track back much or put in hard tackles.

The game's just different. Wing backs are replacing full backs etc...

 

Surely that has been the case for a good decade? The likes of Cafu, Cicinho, Cole, Lizarazu, Carlos, Zambrotta, Marcelo et al were/are all effective attacking options.

Barcelona, Real, United, City, Roma and many other successful top end sides use a DM to shield the back four. It’s not a barrier to success as it allows the full backs to bomb on. Very underrated position, in my opinion.

 

They do indeed. Trendy at the moment. Likely to go out of fashion at some point. And then come back a few years later.

 

Yeah I meant in comparison to the days of old a la Redders etc... not past few years.

 

It's not a new concept. 20 years ago yhe best midfielders in the world were players like Scholes, Rivaldo and Zidane. None of them could defend. Forgive my ignorance but when were the top midfielders ever specialists in all the skills you mentioned? Platini? Zico? Not sure they were classed as all rounders either.

 

I highly doubt it as it’s hardly a fad. Makalele and Geremi at Real and Chelsea must’ve been early 00s, similarly with the likes of Hierro and Campo. Philip Cocu was a similar player, this is before we even get into the modern era so to speak. We’re talking a good 15/20 years.

 

I didn't say specialists.
Just expect them to be able to hold their own in midfield, whether that's in defence or going forward.

 

Best 2 midfielders I've ever seen Gerrard and Vieira had it all. Can't think of many others who could do both sides of the game to a world class level though.

 

I'd class Kante as a DM - he's exceptional in that position. Not one for goals or assists - sticks his foot in and breaks things up. Think Scowen was best one we've had in that position for a while.

 

Fair enough but many of the midfielders i mentioned couldn't "hold their own defensively". Yet everyone of them still very much "worth his salt".

 

Don't think vieira had it all either - poor goals and assists record.

 

Didier Deschamps. The water carrier.

 

Vieira scored 31 in 304 - chipped in but hardly prolific

 

Think any team would build their midfield around having either of those. If you have Busquets, then you can stack the rest of the midfield to be attacking, knowing he can mop up behind. If you have Ronaldinho, you can do the opposite, allowing him the space to run at the opposition (whilst supported) and knowing your defence is going to be tight.

 

Gwyn Thomas